Torrential rains and flash floods hit central London on Tuesday, reducing traffic to a crawl on Tower Bridge. Water gushed across the famous bridge, a major tourist attraction but also a vital artery linking the City and the south bank. It led many on social media to suggest that the bridge should be cleared by being raised in the same way it does to let boats pass. Cars ploughed through floodwater beneath a blanket of clouds on Tuesday morning and heavy downpours continued throughout the day, signalling the end of summertime. The Met Office issued a yellow warning for rain which could cause flooding in central and eastern areas of England until midnight on Tuesday. Much of the UK basked in sweltering sunshine at the start of the month, including Wales which experienced its warmest September night on record, while temperatures in Scotland reached the highest since 1906. Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said there was a low risk of thunderstorms to follow.
